Current UGA Football
Current UGA Football Introduction The Georgia Bulldogs have come a long way since their opening football season in 1892, back when Coach Dr. Charles Herty led them to their first victory against Me rcer. This was also the season the Georgia Bulldogs and Auburn first met and created the “South's Oldest Rivalry” (Georgia Bulldogs Football History). Since 1892, Georgia has won a consensus National Championship, won fourteen South Eastern Conference Championships and produced two Heisman Trophy Winners, Herschel Walker and Frank Sinkwich (Georgia Bulldogs Football History). The University of Georgia now has an excellent football program, which is characterized by its sacred traditions , some of which have lasted for a century. Over the years, the University of Georgia football team has become one of the most respected teams in the country, which produces a number of talented professional football players. The Coach Currently, the University of Georgia football team is led by a man who truly transformed the way people look at Georgia football, Mark Richt . Since the end of the 2010 season, Richt has won ninety-six of his last 130 games, giving him a winning percentage of (.738) (Player Bio: Mark Richt). This winning percentage is fourth best in the country among all active college football coaches (Player Bio: Mark Richt) . Also, in his ten year tenure at Georgia, Mark Richt led the team to three South Eastern Conference Championship games, two of which were won be the Bulldogs (Player Bio: Mark Richt). Following a few seasons with Richt, fifty-seven Georgia football players made their way to the NFL as professionals (Player Bio: Mark Richt). Not only is Richt an excellent football coach, he is also an outstanding person who simply wants the best for his athletes. After Mark took on the position of head coach, he has encouraged students to do what is best for themselves and for this reason 201 Georgia Football players have graduated after a few years in his program (Player Bio: Mark Richt). The Team Though the season is not yet over, the Bulldogs already established a successful season for themselves. In fact, USA Today ranks Georgia's defense in the top ten for the entire nation (NCAA College). The Bulldogs' offense is also recognized as a skilled one and is ranked 21st in the nation (NCAA College). In the first two games of the season, the Georgia Bulldogs faced two extremely skilled football teams, the Boise State Broncos and the South Carolina Gamecocks . Though they lost both of these games, the Bulldogs have come back to win their last six games. Currently, the Georgia football team is second in the South Eastern Conference Eastern Division and “if they continue to win this season, they could possibly play in the South Eastern Conference Championship” at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA (Zach Fenster). Key Players Aaron Murray Aaron Murray , a sophomore from Tampa Bay, is the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was originally a redshirt freshman who had an outstanding season last fall. As a freshmen, Murray received numerous awards including Freshman All-America, Georgia's Most Valuable Offensive Player and Newcomer of The Year for Offense (Player Bio: Aaron Murray). Last year Murray threw for 3,049 yards and twenty-four touchdowns(Player Bio: Aaron Murray). This year he continues to thrive, averaging 227.75 passing yards per game (Aaron Murray Stats). Brandon Boykin http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/382675/brandon-boykin Brandon Boykin is a senior defensive back who has been key in the defensive success of the Georgia Bulldogs this year. Brandon has also been key on special teams as well, as he is the team's top kick returner. This year alone, he has eighteen solo tackles and two interceptions; this is quite impressive considering there are still three games left in the season (Player Bio: Brandon Boykin). As a kick returner, Boykin has had 2,107 yards and is “the only player in SEC history to have three 100 yard plays” (Player Bio: Brandon Boykin). Brandon is also experimenting on offense this year and actually ran for an eighty yard touchdown (Georgia-Bosie Video). Isaiah Crowell Isaiah Crowell is a true freshman running back that has become a integral member of the Georgia football team. Last year, he was considered a five star recruit and is member of the “Dream Team” a phrase used to describe the class of freshmen football players at Georgia for the 2011 season. Coming straight out of high school, it seems Isaiah has taken on the role as the primary running back for the team. In the 2011 season, Isaiah has had 689 rushing yards and five total touchdowns (Isaiah Crowell Stats). He also averages 4.7 yards a carry, which is a remarkable feat for a freshman in the SEC (Isaiah Crowell Stats) . Malcolm Mitchell Malcolm Mitchell is a wide receiver and a true freshman who is also a member of the “Dream Team.” Though Malcolm has not played the last two games due to a hamstring injury, his stats for the first six games are surprising for a freshman. Malcolm averages 17.5 yards per reception and has 3 touchdowns in the six games he played in (Malcolm Mitchell Stats). Orson Charles Orson Charles is a junior and the top tight end for the Georgia Bulldogs. With the top wide receiver from last year, A.J. Green , now playing in the NFL, Orson was expected to be one of the primary receivers for the team. Orson took this challenge and made it a reality; this season he has gained significantly more attention from Murray. Even considering his impressive stats from last year, Orson has improved quite a bit. Only eight games into the season, Orson already has just as many receptions as last year and twice as many touchdowns (Orson Charles Stats). Traditions The University of Georgia is a school that is rich in traditions of all kind and football is no exception. Any Georgia Bulldog fan who has watched a game in sanford is well aware of the importance of Georgia traditions. Many of these traditions have been around for generations and though players come and go, the Georgia football traditions will continue to thrive. Dawg Walk Before every home game at Sanford Stadium , all Georgia football players walk through a pathway made of fans who cheer them on. This pathway stretches from the Tate Student Center to the entrance of Sanford Stadium and is called the Dawg Walk. Ringing the Chapel Bell After every game won by the Bulldogs, fans flock to the chapel bell, where the old stadium used to be located, and ring the bell to celebrate (Brown). This is a very old tradition that has thrived at the University of Georgia. Hairy Dawg Hairy Dawg is the Georgia mascot, who can be seen motivating the crowd at football games. Not to be confused with Uga, Hairy Dawg is a person in a costume, whereas Uga is an actual bulldog (Brown). “Glory Glory” “Glory Glory ” is the University of Georgia fight song that is played at every game. This song is one of the oldest Georgia traditions and has roots that go back to the 1890s (Brown). Between the Hedges The field where all Georgia Bulldog home games are played, in sanford stadium, is surrounded by a small wall of hedges. For this reason, many fans will refer to the game being played “between the hedges” (Brown). Work Cited "Aaron Murray Stats, News, Videos, Pictures, Bio." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. ESPN. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. Brown, Amy. "Frequently Asked Questions - UGA Traditions | The Anti-Orange Page." The Anti-Orange Page | Where Rednecks Turn Orange in the Fall. Established 1996. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. Fenster, Zach. Personal Interview. 3 Nov, 2011. "Georgia Bulldogs Football History." Sicemdawgs.com. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. "Georgia-Boise State Video: Georgia's Brandon Boykin Rips Amazing 80-Yard TD Rush." Bleacher Report. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. "Isaiah Crowell Stats, News, Videos, Pictures, Bio." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. ESPN. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. "Malcolm Mitchell Stats, News, Videos, Pictures, Bio." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. ESPN. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. "NCAA College Football Statistics and Rankings." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. USA Today. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. "Orson Charles Stats, News, Videos, Pictures, Bio." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. ESPN. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. "Player Bio: Aaron Murray." University of Georgia Athletics. The University of Georgia. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. "Player Bio: Brandon Boykin" University of Georgia Athletics. The University of Georgia. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. "Player Bio: Mark Richt." University of Georgia Athletics. The University of Georgia. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. Ugafootball Image." Image Hosting, Free Photo Sharing & Video Sharing at Photobucket. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. Category:sports